My name Venetia I came to Bugesera in 1973 the genocide started when I was here and witnessing how the Interahamwe were hunting the TUTSIS. Time came and I received the news that a man by the names of SENYANZOBE died and a wife of SEBUSHUMBA and another known as NSILA and all her children and we were very sad and unhappy and we mourned for them.
After I heard somebody calling me while I was in the house with my children, immediately I opened the door and only to see the wife of Mr. Callixte and I was very happy although I started panicking saying inside my heart that they will come and kill them in my house and I thought of hiding them under my Bed but unfortunately it was so small for them to be covered, so I decided to take them in another room which was for domestic animals like goats and I said that it will be hard for the Interahamwe to known that they are some people who are hidden in that room of goats. I gave them seats but we were very seared the whole day and even my Son-in law by the name of Jonas, the Interahamwe started coming at home trying to spy but they could move away because they feared my Son in law but again they had suspected that they children whom we may have kept in my house, So they kept on coming regularly asking me if I have news about those children but I told them that all of them were killed and I said but I was very sad and then they gave me a proverb in Kinyarwanda says” UWICA IMBEBA NTABABARIRA N’IHAKA”. Meaning that the one who kills a rat he does not leave the one with pregnant. And in case we get those who try to hide them they will be killed as well and i also added that no body can hide an enemy due to the fact that I wanted them not to suspect me for having hidden some people in my house.
After the long conversation and their departure another gentleman by the name of Muhimbaza came with a child by the name of RUDAGA and a son whose mother was in my house and I showed a sign to that man and he agave me that son and took him in the house and to them mother. In order to keep this as a secret I denied my own young children to move to the room due to the fact that they may have gone talking hence creating awareness to the Interahamwe. Apart from my elder son by the name of Mathias who also saved three (3) men who had hidden in the forest and he escorted them up to the boarder of BURUNDI but after they started suspecting him for dealing with the TUTSIS, Immediately they warned me that if they find him in the forest he will be killed.
As I was looking ways of keeping them safe and not to be killed one soldier came and said to me that please don’t fear because I have the right to help you and he was HABYARIMA’S soldier but he promised to help me but I did not trust him although he had explained to me that he had known some people who had come to my house. I went in my house and asked Cecile if she had met that soldier and she told that she met him and I told the soldier to enter and we discuss. After the small conversation the soldier told me that the only thing I can help you is to escort them to BURUNDI but he requested me to go with my son to direct him the way through the forest to Burundi boarder. Good enough another man by the name of Karemera to help the soldier carrying the children because they were still young and four in number and the mother making them to be five so we waited up to night hours immediately the soldier escorted them but on their way they encountered Interahamwe militia but good enough he shouted at them and got away forward to the boarder.
All that I was doing it was because of all I witnessed in 1959 when the TUTSIS were being tortured leading them to flee the country and others being killed but my parents used to hide them and keep their animals and in their return they could give them back their wealth.
UNITY AND RECONCILIATION:
Of course there’s unity and reconciliation because Rwandans now they do intermarry between TUTSIS and HUTUS like it used to be long time along before colonialism. In addition to that People share the little they have and help one another.
GACACA:
Gacaca is very good because all those participated in Genocide against the TUTSIS are now imprisoned in case they are guilty and also the prisoners participate in activities like construction of roads and houses for country’s development.